Monday, November 17, 2008

SCOTTISH OPPOSITION PARTY CONTINUES TO BATTLE METHADONE MAINTENANCE:

“'Action needed' on methadone use” reads the BBC-News headline of 16 Nov. The leader of the Tories, Ms. Goldie, complained that “… the country is ‘over-dependent’ on methadone... [and that] urgent action needs to be taken over the ‘escalating’ use of the heroin substitute.” It is hard to imagine what alternative(s) the Tories have in mind for the tens of thousands (!) of patients receiving methadone today – especially when, according to Ms. Goldie, “… we still have addicts waiting for over two years to get other forms of rehabilitation.” Truly difficult to comprehend the thinking. For the full story read the BBC article

2 Comments:

Hello there,I recently discovered your blog, and really enjoy the variety of topics you cover with regard to opiate addiction. I am an addict, in recovery via methadone maintenance for two years. I recently had an incident where a weekly UA screen came up negative for unchanged methadone (my clinic no longer runs the screen for metabolites, just methadone itself with the 300 ng/ml cutoff for a positive).

In my understanding this is very possible, especially with the fact that I am in my second trimester of pregnancy.. I am also a fast metabolizer and take a split dose. Do you have any further information on how or why this occurs, or know of any studies regarding this? My clinic took this to mean I was not complying with dosing (I had take home privileges) and revoked them, which has been frustrating to me. I eventually got my take-homes back, but still feel I have no recourse in the future should it happen again, and am hoping to have more insight from a physician who is knowledgeable about such matters.

I share a lot of your frustration with the inadequacies of urine drug screens as a measurement of treatment progress and compliance, and the way these UAs are interpreted and utilized. I believe if this result had been looked at in the broader context of my history and situation that there would be no reason to penalize me for it, but I do fear this happening again and that the doctors will not look past their immediate suspicion or judgments.

Appreciate any advice you have to share about the issues of pregnancy and methadone metabolism, and anomalous UA results. Feel free to contact me at dreamscapes00@safe-mail.net or post to your blog.

In heroine addict pregnant women methadone treatment during pregnancy is vital since less harm is done. But as soon as pregnancy ends methadone must be stopped slowly by reducing the dose.In all other cases heroine addiction can not be treated with methadone for the addict will shift from heroine to methadone. Several methods are available medical and nonmedical that will lead to a drugfree state. One world known methode is the NARCONON methode.